


Magic Abroad In The Air

by Vanessa_Cocotea



Category: Doctor Who (TV Movie 1996)
Genre: Adventure, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-23
Updated: 2013-09-23
Packaged: 2017-12-27 11:20:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/978227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanessa_Cocotea/pseuds/Vanessa_Cocotea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part Four of my Berkeley Square series - done in 2011.</p><p>The Doctor wreaks havoc at Speaker's Corner - and not a little embarrassment. He and Grace do some teaching and join in a campaign to scare the bejeebers out of the "Ghost of Number 50".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Magic Abroad In The Air

**Author's Note:**

> Note on names: The names - Katy, Iris and the use of Manning in part three - actually do NOT refer to the delightful Katy Manning. Katy is from my name, Catherine, and Manning is a reference to one of the creators of A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square - Manning Sherwin. The name, Iris, does refer to Iris Wildthyme - but to her Beryl Reid incarnation from Scarlet Empress - my favourite and my "default" Iris, if you will. I have one of Katy's Iris audios and I love it, but I "met" the SE version first and that is how I always seem to picture Iris Wildthyme.
> 
> A note on the stories: For best effect, they should all be read, and in order, as they are somewhat connected.

The Doctor was pacing the floor all round the console. Every so often, he would pause and look at something on the console and mutter, 'It won't do. It just won't do!'

He was driving Grace mad. After about forty minutes of this, she caught him in mid-pace and asked, 'Doctor, WHAT won't do?'

He pointed at a display window on the console. 'That!' Grace looked. The window showed a graphic illustration of the Mayfair area of London with Berkeley Square highlighted.

Grace shook her head and laughed. 'You want to try again, right? Well, it has been all of a fortnight since we left. Don't expect you can wait much longer. Being the firm believer in, "If at first you don't succeed - try, try again!", that you are. I just hope the police have forgot all about us by now!'

The Doctor grinned. 'I don't think the police will be a problem this time around.' He gave her *that* look.

She boggled. 'You want to try the 1940s again, don't you?'

He nodded. 'I was thinking round about Autumn 1945. See the postwar situation and such.' He grinned at her. 'How about it?'

'Yeah, that sounds good.' She grinned back at him. 'Should be interesting. Just let me get changed. I'd like to look a little more appropriate this time. After all, I haven't got your extraordinary ability to fit in everywhere and anywhere.'

The Doctor chuckled. 'I'm sure you would fit in just fine, Grace - what with the shortages and all. People won't be too concerned about your day wear, now will they?'

'Probably not, but I still think I should dress the part. Apart from anything else, I just think it would be fun!' Grace smiled.

'Can't argue with that!' The Doctor grinned back. 'You pop off to the wardrobe room while I set the coordinates. All right?'

But Grace hadn't heard him as she'd already headed for the TARDIS's wardrobe room. She returned quite quickly wearing a 1940s style print dress and carrying a short "swing-style" topper coat and a forties-style hat. Her auburn hair was rolled back at the sides with the rest flowing down to her shoulders. She definitely looked the part and, as the Doctor admiringly told her, quite lovely. She smiled and asked where they were going to land.

'I think we should land on Hampstead Heath again. Landing in the city might be a bit tricky. We still might be confused for a real police box. We should be able to get a taxi into London.'

'I take your point. Good idea.' She put on her coat and hat, while the Doctor opened the doors.

********

They stepped out on to Hampstead Heath and could already sense a change in the air. Despite all the destruction and shortages, there was an air of hope, that the war truly was over. There was the frustrating irony of things like bread, that were now being rationed that hadn't been rationed during the war, but that didn't stop the definite feeling of hope.

They walked for a while, but didn't see any taxis. Grace was on the verge of interrupting the Doctor's dissertation on the Abercrombie Plan to suggest they ring for a taxi, when they saw one coming. The Doctor raised his hand and the vehicle pulled over - and, lo and behold...

'SAM!' The Doctor cried happily. He turned to Grace. 'Grace, it's Sam! You remember Sam, don't you? Sam Stockton?'

Grace thought for a moment as the taxi pulled up beside them. 'Yes, yes, I think I do. Yes, of course! He looked after us in that one shelter, then lost his cab to that chunk of masonry. Poor man.' She and the Doctor smiled at Sam. "Hello, Sam!' They chorused.

Sam Stockton looked in surprise at the two people who seemed to know him. 'How...' He started to say, but then he remembered as well. 'Good heavens! I remember you two! Hop in!' Grace and the Doctor got in and soon all three were happily bringing each other up to date...

The Doctor told Sam as they drove along that he'd been telling Grace about the Abercrombie Plan to rebuild London and the plan for 'new towns', as they were called.

Sam replied, 'I can see where all these 'new towns' could be a bit of a mixed blessing. For myself, I wouldn't mind living in one at all. I'm not married and I don't have any little 'uns, so they wouldn't be a problem for me. I'd go to one. But I can see where it might be a problem for families. On the good side, there would be more space to raise the kiddies and, hopefully, some better schools, but a lot of the kids have already had to cope with being evacuated during the war and have had enough of being separated from family and friends. Having to move somewhere else far away again so soon after the war and being separated from friends again would be difficult, to say the least. They'd be with their families, true, but there's the friends they'd be leaving behind. Be rough. But,' He continued, 'with so many schools having been bombed out, it would be a practical move, if only for that.'

'Yes, I agree with you on that one.' The Doctor said. 'The shortages aren't just with food and other goods, there are teacher shortages as well.'

Grace added, 'And also doctor shortages, obviously. That was rough the last time we were here.'

'Exactly!' Sam replied. 'I've seen children being taught in lots of places, like parks. That's fine for now, but when winter sets in, that won't do. And the shortage of doctors and hospital beds, along with housing shortages, come winter, doesn't bear thinking about. The government's doing the best it can and I hope something will work out.'

'Amen to that.' The Doctor and Grace replied.

Sam smiled, 'Where do the pair of you want dropping off?'

'Anywhere in or near Mayfair will be fine, Sam.'

'Right-oh!' They were near Oxford Street, so Sam let them off there. The Doctor paid him and he and Grace said their thank yous and that they had enjoyed meeting Sam again. Sam responded in kind and waved a hand out the window as he drove off, Grace and the Doctor waving to Sam as they watched him move away.

'I wonder if we'll see anyone else from our first trip?' Grace enquired, 'Be nice.'

'I don't know. But, yes, it would be nice.' The Doctor grinned at her. 'Where to next?'

Grace smiled. 'Let's just have a wander, as you call it. Just go where opportunity takes us!'

The Doctor smiled back. 'Splendid idea, Grace!' He started to take Grace's hand, when she stopped him.

'On second thoughts, I've got an idea which might prove very interesting. Let's have a "penny walk", all right?'

'Now that IS a splendid idea! Excellent! I haven't done one of those in positively ages!' The Doctor searched his pockets for a penny. It took him some time as he seemed to find every sort of coin, BUT a penny! Finally, he managed to pull out a penny. 'Heads or tails?'

Grace grinned, 'Tails!'

The Doctor shook his head, gave a small chuckle and tossed the coin. 'Tails, it is!' And they turned left...

********

The effect was rather like that of a tornado. Whole streets were devastated. And, yet, other streets had a mix of devastation, partially destroyed buildings and buildings left untouched. Some streets were fortunate enough to escape the devastation altogether. The street the Doctor and Grace were on was a mix of devastation. They found buildings untouched and right next to those were buildings either totally destroyed or partially destroyed. It really did make Grace think of a tornado. It would be a long time indeed before all the damage from the war was cleared up and even longer for the psychological damage to heal.

They picked their way round piles of rubble here and there. The Doctor told Grace more historical bits and pieces as they walked. He was just about to tell her more about the rationing finally ending in 1954, when they heard the sound of laughter - children's laughter. They turned a corner and there, in an empty, cleared out bombsite, was a dozen or so children and a young woman. It was apparent they were having class and the young woman was their teacher. The Doctor and Grace approached...

********

The children were sitting on blankets on the ground and, judging from the questions and such, they were just finishing a maths class. The teacher looked up as the Doctor and Grace walked past. She smiled at them.

The Doctor and Grace returned her smile and the Doctor said, 'Lovely day for taking classes outdoors, isn't it?'

The teacher, Miss Chloe Blake, replied as several of the children looked up, 'Yes, yes, it is. It'll be hard to go to a new school when one can be built.'

Grace said, 'I imagine it would be!' And she added, as she and the Doctor prepared to move on, 'Good luck on your lessons, kids!'

Miss Blake exclaimed delightedly when she heard Grace's voice, 'Oh! You're American!' She gestured the Doctor and Grace over, 'Would you mind coming over and telling the children about how things were in America during the war and how they are now? We'd be ever so grateful and the children would truly enjoy it!'

Grace and the Doctor looked at their hopeful audience and happily hurried over to give some insight to some eager young listeners...

********

They smiled at their young audience. Grace began by introducing herself and the Doctor. 'I'm Grace and this is Dr Bowman.' She grinned at the Doctor who grinned back. 'But he likes to be called, "Doctor". What are your names?'

A pair of twin girls piped up first. 'Prudence!' 'Priscilla!' They were followed by the rest of the children, all eager to identify themselves.

'Freddy!'

'Tim!'

'Bonnie!'

'Allen!'

'Dulcie!'

'Alfie!'

'Clarissa!'

'Jamie!'

'George!'

'Josh!'

Their young teacher introduced herself, then. 'I'm Miss Blake - Chloe Blake. We're pleased to meet you, Doctor, Grace.'

'Same here!' chorused the Doctor and Grace. Then Grace began by asking if there was anything specific any of the children wanted to know. Josh asked about rationing. So Grace told them about rationing in America during WWII. Of course, only she and the Doctor knew that Grace's knowledge had come from what her grandparents had told her about WWII when she was a little girl and what the Doctor had told her from his travels and, of course, what the TARDIS library could provide. Their audience naturally just thought she was relating her own experiences.

'Of course, not everything was rationed. And rationing was a gradual process.'

The Doctor interjected by saying, 'Interestingly enough, tyres were the first thing to be rationed.' Grace looked at him in surprise. 'Even I didn't know that!'

'Oh, yes!'

'Incredible!' She continued and told them about old clothes not being rationed and people being paid a small amount to recycle their unwanted goods. That raised a few eyebrows.

Dulcie giggled. 'Wish they would have done that here. We could have eaten in a restaurant with all the things we could have given.' Dulcie came from a rather large family.

They were further intrigued by the war bonds and the encouragements to buy them displayed on films in cinemas and on posters and such.

Then Grace told them, 'I'm afraid, though, I haven't been in America for a while, so all I know about later on in the war and in these past months after, is what I've been able to get from the uncensored bits in the letters I've received from some friends from America.'

The Doctor added more interesting things about "Rosie the Riveter" and how women took jobs in place of men serving in the armed forces. He told them that a lot of women chose to keep on earning their living after the war. The children were a bit confused when Grace mentioned that after the war, a lot of women chose to divorce their husbands and, yet, there now were a large number of women "with child". The adults laughed and replied that it was "tricky" in some cases, but things would probably work out just fine, in the end.

Freddy added, 'Just like the way my Gran can't understand why we were healthier during the war when food was rationed and now that the war is over and rationing is starting to end, kids are getting ill more often. Sort of like that, huh?'

'Something like that, Freddy.' Miss Blake replied, winking at the Doctor and Grace. 'Are there any more questions for our guests?'

'Ahm...' Bonnie shyly asked, 'May the Doctor and Grace stay for a bit and help us with our grammar lesson, please?'

Miss Blake hesitated, 'Well, that would be nice, Bonnie, but I'm sure they have other things they need to do.' She looked at Grace and the Doctor. 'Could you both spare a bit more time? The children are really enjoying having you here. We'd really appreciate it, if you could.'

Grace and the Doctor looked at each other and smiled. 'Why not? Of course, we can stay for a bit longer!' Several young voices cheered. The Doctor proceeded to give them the most amusing grammar lesson they had ever had...

He employed one of his favourite little games. It was the one where he asked the children for nouns, verbs and such and randomly inserted their answers into Christmas songs in place of the original lyrics. They all laughed for some time, when he told them of one of his favourite results - "Jump the floor with flocks of cactus", as an example of what could happen. The children were hooked. They tried the silliest grammatical terms they could think of and the results were quite funny. Then the Doctor told them that some truly hysterical results would happen if they could suggest the most serious terms they could think of. That became indescribable...

The children - and indeed, Miss Blake, hadn't laughed quite so much for some time. But the Doctor really undid everyone when he rearranged "We Wish You A Merry Christmas", using the terms the children had provided for him. When the Doctor presented them with, 'We take you a sticky history and a flexible magazine', everyone laughed so hard they almost cried. When they finally calmed down, relatively speaking, Miss Blake announced, to everyone's disappointment, that it was time the children should be getting on home for their tea. There were groans from the children and even the adults were sad to have the Doctor and Grace's visit end. But goodbyes and thank yous were said and the Doctor and Grace reluctantly took their leave.

********

As they walked along and reflected that Grace's idea of a "penny walk" had been a very good one and Grace had said her thanks, she mentioned to the Doctor that the children didn't all wear school uniforms. The Doctor then gave Grace a lesson on how it wasn't particularly practical to insist on school uniforms during the war, what with rationing and so many children being evacuated and billeted to the country. Many children just wore either regular clothes, or whatever uniform they'd worn at whatever previous school they'd attended. Then he told her about Mary Quant and how she'd designed her own school uniform and had made all the other girls very envious! Grace asked how he knew that and the Doctor replied that he'd read it in her autobiography. The book was in the TARDIS library, if Grace cared to read it. The Doctor really made Grace laugh when he told her about the great "apple orchard" incident in Mary's book.

It seemed that Mary and her brother had been sent to stay with an elderly lady in the country. This lady had an apple orchard, of which she was very fond. Well, Mary and her brother were told not to pick any apples. So this poor old lady was quite surprised one morning, to walk out to her beloved orchard and see a number of apple cores hanging from several trees. When confronted with the situation, the two inventive siblings replied they had only been told not to pick the apples and they hadn't. Nobody told them they couldn't EAT the apples. The adults had forgotten that children, through no fault of their own, can NOT read between the lines! No one expected the kids to climb the trees in the middle of the night and eat the apples without picking them! Both Grace and the Doctor laughed for some time over that little anecdote.

********

They'd made their way to Berkeley Square, when they heard the sound of a child crying...

At the corner across the street from the nymph, there was a little girl - about four or five, and a woman - presumably, her mother. The little girl was clinging to her mother and crying, refusing to move. The Doctor and Grace carefully approached and asked if everything was all right.

'Oh,' the woman replied, 'she's just afraid to walk past Number 50. She's afraid the ghost will come out and eat her. We have friends at the end of the block that we're going to see and we're a bit late as it is.' The woman smiled rather ruefully at them.

The Doctor smiled at the child, who buried her face in her mother's dress. 'Might I offer a suggestion?'

'Um, yes. If you wish.'

He bent down to talk to the little girl. 'May I ask you your name, little one?'

The little girl shyly replied, 'Katy Iris. Katy Iris Divine, sir.'

The Doctor smiled and said, 'Well, Miss Divine, how about we help you to frighten the ghost! That way, if he is looking out the window - which would be unusual, as he sleeps during the day, but if he is, you could make him too frightened to come out! How would that be, eh?'

Katy Iris looked distinctly boggled at the idea that she could actually frighten a ghost! But she was also intrigued, so she eagerly nodded.

'All right, let's get you ready to scare the bejeebers out of the ghost! Grace, if I could borrow your coat and, yes, I believe I have a few scarves or something in my pocket here...' The Doctor then fashioned a couple of scarves into pads and put them on the little girl's shoulders, then he put Grace's coat on her so that the neck of the coat was level with the top of Katy Iris's head, giving her a distinctly "headless" look. Her little fingers just barely peeked out of the sleeves. The Doctor buttoned up all the buttons, but one - so Katy Iris could see. He then instructed the little girl to walk to the end of the block to her friend's house, ensuring her that the ghost, if he was looking, would be too scared to come after her, owing to the fact that she looked like a headless monster! Katy Iris giggled and started to walk. Her mother followed a bit further back. The Doctor waited a bit and, using his ventriloquist skills, made ghostly noises that were presumably coming from the headless monster. Little Katy Iris was quietly giggling inside her costume at the Doctor's "Wooooing". Then, after Katy Iris was past number 50, the Doctor and Grace sneaked back round the other side of the block and met them at the friend's house, where Grace reclaimed her coat and the Doctor, his scarves.

The Doctor looked at the grinning child and exclaimed, 'Well done, Katy Iris! You were wonderful!'

Her mother looked at Grace and the Doctor and said, gratefully, 'Thank you! That was lovely of you! And such a creative suggestion! Thank you again, Mr? Miss?"

"Just call me, "Doctor" and this is Grace.' The Doctor told her and Grace smiled and said, 'We were glad to help, Mrs?'

'Mrs Divine. But, please, call me, Marilyn.'

'Well, enjoy your visit, Marilyn!' Then the Doctor and Grace smiled at little Katy Iris, and the Doctor added, 'You, too, Katy Iris! You were very brave!'

'Thank you, sir, ma'am!' Then she skipped up to the door of her friend's house, saying, ' I can't wait to tell Nancy I scared a ghost!'

The adults laughed and Grace and the Doctor took their leave to resume their penny walk. They would be back to Berkeley Square later. The Doctor had just used a phone box to ring the Ritz.

********

After a number of penny tosses, the Doctor and Grace found themselves near the northeast corner of Hyde Park. There was dreadful commotion emanating their way. They just HAD to investigate!

A man, somewhere in middle age, was delivering quite an impassioned tirade on the fact that bread was now being rationed and that it hadn't been during the war. He had the crowd quite impassioned as well. The Doctor and Grace hurried over and stood at the back of the crowd and listened for a bit - until the Doctor got the bright idea of employing his extraordinary ventriloquist skills...

Grace had her left arm round the Doctor's waist under his coat as she listened to the speaker. He was on about how he could have all the bread he wanted during the war, but, now, he had to make do with much less, when suddenly Grace was startled to hear him apparently say,

'...of the grey, grimy stuff! And the way it balloons up in one's stomach, we'll all be fat as elephants before the year is out!' The look on the man's face was priceless and the crowd froze for a second, then roared with laughter, freeing the Doctor and Grace to join in, without the Doctor giving himself away. Unfortunately, the Doctor, who had his right arm round Grace's shoulder, was enjoying himself a little too much and Grace gave him a warning squeeze under his coat, when he made the man appear to say,

'And it plays merry hell with the digestion, don't it now? Sometimes, you can't get out for hours! Drives the wife mad, it does!' Grace and the crowd were laughing, but also, blushing furiously and she surreptitiously whispered out of the corner of her mouth, 'Doctor! Cut it out!' She gave him another warning squeeze, but he was too caught up in his act to quit. The poor speaker was mortified and spluttering. He found himself most embarrassed to seemingly say,

'Maybe, a chap should just move into the lav, eh? But I say, stop eatin' the stuff!'

'DOCTOR!' Grace whispered, 'Cut it out! You'll get us arrested again!' He whispered out of the corner of his mouth, 'All right. Don't worry.' Then he made the man appear to say,

'But seriously, after all this rationing FINALLY ends, we British will make bread that's far superior to anything the Frogs ever have or ever will make! Right?' The crowd roared their approval. Still, it was a speech they and the poor speaker would never forget. As the Doctor and Grace slowly moved away, they noticed a policeman giving them a rather strange look. They smiled at him and he walked away. They sighed in relief and made their way out of Hyde Park.

When they were a suitable distance away, Grace mentioned that she would like to see what Harrods was like now. The Doctor agreed and, as it was way round the park from Speaker's Corner, they decided to take a taxi and have tea there as well.

********

They were riding along in the taxi, when Grace spotted a young couple standing at a bus stop. They didn't look too happy and the young woman was crying. Grace pointed them out to the Doctor. 'Doctor, look!'

He looked and said to the driver, 'Let us out here instead, please.' He then asked the driver to wait and they got out and approached the unhappy young couple...

'Is there something we can do?' Grace asked kindly. The young couple looked up at the people who stood before them. The woman was dressed conventionally, but the man must have come from some play somewhere. Still they seemed kind and seemed to genuinely want to help. Therefore the young couple found themselves opening up to Grace and the Doctor.

The young man - who introduced himself as Nigel Eastwood, and the young lady as his new wife, Violet, said, 'We haven't been married long and we're on our way to get approved for new furniture, but we tripped over some rubble and all our money fell into grating. We miss our appointment and who knows when we'll get another.' Nigel looked pretty shook up.

Violet added, 'Our other place was bombed out and Nigel lost his job in a print shop when it was bombed as well. Now that our savings are gone, my Gran has asked us to stay with her - till we get back on our feet. It's too far to walk to our appointment and we've no money even for a bus.' She began to sob again.

The Doctor leant down and patted her shoulder. 'It's all right, my dear! I'm sure we can sort something out. But, firstly, I'm the Doctor and this is Grace.' He smiled at the young newlyweds. 'Now, we can start by asking you to share our cab, so you can get to your appointment. How will you get to your grandmother's afterwards?'

Nigel replied, 'That's not a problem. Violet's gran's place is walking distance from where our appointment is. But we couldn't impose on the pair of you, really. Our appointment is quite a distance away. We'd probably take you way out of your way. And we don't have any way of reimbursing you.' Nigel looked distraught.

'Nonsense! We can't leave you stranded! Things are hard enough and you're lucky to have a good chance to make things better. Please, call it a belated wedding present! All right?'

Nigel looked at Violet and asked, 'What do you think, love? Do you think we should accept their kind offer? It's probably the only way we'll get there on time.'

Violet slowly stopped sobbing and smiled. 'Yeah, I guess it would be all right.' She looked at their two benefactors. 'Thank you so much! It's very kind of you both!'

Grace replied, 'Think nothing of it! We're glad to help!' Then they all piled into the taxi, the Doctor riding in front with the driver. He and Grace kept the young couple entertained by telling them of their adventures thus far. He cheered the Eastwoods up no end, not to mention the taxi driver! It was all too soon when the Doctor and Grace said goodbye to their latest new friends and wished them all the best! Then they asked the driver to take them to Harrods...

Violet and Nigel watched the taxi pull away, both reflecting that there really were some nice people in the world. They soon discovered how nice the Doctor and Grace truly were. As the young couple began to make their way to their appointment, Nigel put his hands in his pockets as was his wont. He immediately withdrew his right hand. In it was an envelope. And in the envelope was a note and enough money in notes, to see them through a couple of months. Nothing excessive, but enough to make them comfortable enough. The note from the Doctor explained that he and Grace just wanted help them a little and not to regard the money as charity, but a sort of wedding gift. They knew the young couple would quite rightly be embarrassed by a large amount, but would just might appreciate a little help. The note ended with good wishes from the Doctor and Grace. Violet and Nigel were quite touched at the gift and silently looked up and expressed their gratitude. They walked to their appointment with lighter hearts.

********

Harrods was vastly different to what it would be in Grace's time, but still it was very impressive. They went to have tea and to talk about their trip so far.

Grace started by saying, 'Well, it's been a good trip so far! No injuries and no arrests. Hopefully, we'll succeed this time! I hope!' She laughed. 'Though, Doctor, you did give me a few tense moments with your little act earlier!' She looked at the Doctor. 'You know, of course, that a lot of your little speech didn't make a whole lot of sense! And I thought sure someone was going to catch on! You make me a nervous wreck, sometimes, you know that?'

The Doctor laughed. 'Grace! Grace! You know I wouldn't have let things go too far! I just wanted to liven things up a bit! And the nonsense made it all the better! It's easier to cope with things if you can find a little good and a little humour in the situation.'

Grace shook her head. 'You do push it, though! Let's go wander through the rest of the store, okay?' She looked rather wistful for a moment. 'Pity, we don't have any ration books. I wouldn't mind having a souvenir. Restaurants might be exempt from rationing, but I doubt the rest of the place is!'

The Doctor grinned and reached into a pocket. He laid several ration books belonging to a "James Alistair Bowman" and his accompanying ID card down in front of Grace. 'Remember when I told you I helped to save St. Paul's during the war? I still have these left from then. They should still be good. What do you say we do a bit of shopping, eh, Grace?'

Grace boggled. 'Doctor, you never cease to amaze me! Where do we start?'

They cased all of Harrods and were at the moment in bedding. There were a couple of square European-style pillows Grace fell in love with. A female sales assistant came over and after a bit of discussion and the Doctor's ration coupons, Grace had the two pillows. They sat on one of the beds for a few moments and talked a bit more about their day. They were discussing the affair at Speaker's Corner and Grace was telling the Doctor, again, that he shouldn't have put the poor speaker through such embarrassment and the Doctor gave her a cheeky grin and jokingly said the man probably agreed with every bit of what the Doctor had him saying. Grace laughingly exclaimed, 'RUBBISH!' and hit the Doctor with one of her new pillows! He picked up the other one and they indulged in a mild pillow fight! Mild, that was, until the Doctor was just coming back from a swing and he overbalanced and nearly knocked a very expensive lamp off the bedside table. He caught it just in time to save it, but not in time to avoid being seen by the middle-aged sales assistant! He looked rather guilty at the rescued lamp he'd just put back and at the tears in their new pillows he and Grace had caused by their pillow fight and murmured, 'Sorry! Don't worry! We have a great seamstress at home! She'll mend these in no time!' He and Grace decided it was time to leave Harrods. The assistant stared at them for their entire trip out of the department.

********

They walked into the Ritz to find it was just as elegant as always. And it was good to see the blackout was gone as well. They walked up to the Maitre'd and...

'ARTHUR, old chap! How are you?' The Doctor cried. Arthur McGivern looked over in surprise at the two people he'd encountered three years before! He remembered them very well. They'd hardly changed, but he was a little greyer and had been through a bit of difficulty himself during the war.

'Doctor?? Dr Holloway?? Fancy seeing you both again!' He looked at the Doctor. 'You do have reservations this time, I trust?'

'Yes, of course! Name of Bowman - Dr Bowman.' The Doctor grinned at him.

"Ah, yes! I have you here.' Then he looked at Grace's dress. Grace looked down and said, 'Oh, yes! I forgot! Be right back!' And she dashed off to the nearest ladies, leaving both men thoroughly baffled.

Grace returned a few moments later, wearing the same dress - but with a floor-length skirt! Even the Doctor was completely taken aback!

'Grace, how did you...?'

She grinned at the surprised faces of the two men and said, 'I rigged up the hem before we left this morning with tape, so it would be good for day or evening wear!'

The Doctor was most impressed! 'Clever, Grace! You amaze me, you do know that, don't you?'

Even Arthur smiled. 'Madam is most creative and, may I say, looks most charming!' As he led them to their table, the Doctor remarked that Arthur looked a bit tired. Arthur then told them about his family's troubles during the latter part of the war. They'd gone to a shelter during a raid, but had returned afterwards to find that their home had been bombed and had been completely destroyed. They'd lost everything. Everyone was all right, because they'd been in the shelter, but now, they were staying with relatives and it hadn't been too easy for any of them.

'Oh, Arthur, my dear chap, I'm incredibly sorry to hear that! But I'm very glad everyone is all right! And, if there's ANYTHING we can do to help - don't hesitate!' The Doctor laid a sympathetic hand on Arthur's shoulder.

'Arthur, that's awful! I'm so sorry to hear you lost your home!' Grace smiled sympathetically and echoed the Doctor's sentiment that it was good everyone was all right and that she and the Doctor would be glad to help in any way they could.

'Thank you, both! But I still have my job here - thank goodness! It was several months ago and we're doing all right. It's really just a matter of waiting for new furniture and somewhere to live. It's tough and it's crowded, but we can manage. Thank you both for offering, though.' He smiled and left them at their table with the wine list and menus. While they were deciding what to order, they talked about Arthur's misfortune. It was very sad and they wished they could help, but that was something the government needed to sort out. And they understood Arthur's understandable preference to manage by himself as much as possible. Grace asked if they could at least get the family some clothes from the TARDIS wardrobe.

'I thought of that, too,' the Doctor replied, 'but I don't think Arthur would accept that large a gift. He was nervous enough over the chocolate bar, remember?'

'Yes, yes, he was. But I do wish them the best!'

The Doctor agreed. 'Most certainly! All the best!

Grace looked thoughtful for a moment.

'What is it?' The Doctor asked her.

'I'll tell you later. I don't think it would be appropriate here.'

"As you wish.' The Doctor said, somewhat confused. 'Are you ready to order, Grace?'

They gave their orders to the waiter and talked about various trivial things until their food and wine arrived. It was a lovely evening and they spent most of it dancing. They left around 10pm, after wishing Arthur good luck, and headed for Berkeley Square.

********

It was a lovely walk through the Square. Nothing disturbed them - not even the ghost. The Doctor joked that he was probably still frightened by little Katy Iris's performance that afternoon.

'Let's hope so!' Grace grinned. Then she asked the question she couldn't ask at the Ritz. 'Doctor?'

'Yes, Grace?'

'I was just wondering at dinner, why Alexander never mentioned - when we met him before his wedding, that he and his family had lost everything in the war?'

'Probably just caught up in the wedding and forgot. It had been over sixty years. One could even forget to mention something like that, in that length of time.' He chuckled. 'And our appearance probably took his mind off things as well! We did rather shock him and Libby, you know!'

Grace laughed. 'Yes, we probably did!'

The Doctor suddenly stopped and looked happily at Grace. 'You know, I think we finally did it! Had a trip to this area of London with no problems!'

'Yes, Doctor, I think you're right!' Grace smiled happily. 'We did it, didn't we?'

'Yes, indeed, we did!' And he took Grace in his arms and, right there beside the statue of the nymph, kissed her. Afterwards, they stood, still in each other's arms, and just smiled. A moment or two later, they paused, listening, and, grinning even more broadly, simultaneously exclaimed, softly, 'Nightingale!'

FIN

http://ibc.lynxeds.com/sound/common-nightingale-luscinia-megarhynchos/song-male-0


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